I Am the Weakest Cat, but If I Keep Evolving, Can I Become the Strongest? - Episode 50: A Savage, Merciless Banquet

Episode 50: A Savage, Merciless Banquet

▽ Episode 50: A Savage, Merciless Banquet

The Absorption Demon still won’t die. 

Just like how I’m a race specialized in MP amount, that guy might have status specialized in HP amount. 

The exploded and scattered meat pieces. 

They squirm, trying to return to one body. 

I gradually burn them away with [Fire Magic]. But I probably won’t be able to stop it. Even so, the guy’s regeneration speed is slowing down. 

If it’s not a bluff, then the enemy is trying to conserve MP. 

Since I’ve never used recovery magic, I can’t judge. But I can at least predict that the MP cost for recovery is harsh. 

And the Absorption Demon can no longer count on physical attacks. 

There’s too much speed difference to reach me. 

The only thing I should be cautious of is probably its breath attack. 

Even for magic, it can’t shoot recklessly. 

Because I have [Counter Gate] on my side, I can always return any careless magic back. The only thing to be careful of are powerful spells that could decide the battle in one hit.

But even that doesn’t worry me much.

The enemy should know at least one or two intermediate or advanced attack spells. 

There are two reasons it doesn’t use them. 

First. 

Advanced magic usually needs at least some “charge” time. Depending on the spell, but at minimum, it should take around a second where it can’t move. 

It can’t afford to buy that time. 

And even if it does manage to, if it takes a full second to prepare, it’s easy to dodge. 

Second. 

Like I said earlier – the problem of being evaded. 

If it wastes a spell shot, then it’ll lose the MP needed for healing. 

You can see the harsh side of a monster specialized in endurance.

“Nyaaahhh!”

As a payback, I fired off a barrage of [Lightning Magic]. 

What I unleashed was [Thunder Cannons], which normally takes 30 seconds to charge. Moreover, every single [Thunder Cannon] this time is equipped with a fully-charged [Generator]. 

My fur cloak reflected the white lightning, shining divinely. 

An absurd barrage of firepower. 

The Absorption Demon desperately tried to run around the forest to dodge. But it couldn’t completely evade the lightning barrage. 

Its body was carved with numerous wounds by the thunder shells. 

Every time the lightning touched the flesh, a crisp sound rang out. 

The smell of burning meat. The breath of the forest is now surely being filled with the scent of death.

“Aaaahhh!? Wh-why? Why is it? So fast. What is this…”

There’s no reason I have to answer the eerily questioning Absorption Demon. 

The trick is simple. 

My [Time Magic] is doing the dirty work. The effect of [Hour of the Monkey・Abbreviate] is “charge omission.”

The reason I can fire advanced magic without delay is all thanks to this magic’s mischief. 

The enemy is virtually forbidden from using advanced magic. 

Meanwhile, I can cast advanced magic as much as I want. 

That difference is now clearly showing as a difference in combat power. 

It’s tough when you solo all the time, huh.

I gave a sympathetic gaze toward the frightened Absorption Demon. 

You’re already— 

An inferior. 

I now understood that. And it seems the enemy did too.

▽

From what I’ve seen, [Space Magic] and [Time Magic] are on a completely different scale compared to other magics. 

Maybe the acquisition conditions are strict. 

They’re useless alone. But when combined with other tools, they produce explosive results. 

Right now, I’m toying with the overwhelming being that is Absorption Demon.

“N-no. No. No, no. I don’t want this. Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. I hate itttttttttt!”

In a frenzy, the Absorption Demon lunged at me. 

Its massive body, formed by merging multiple monsters, has quite the presence—but it’s too slow thanks to the effect of [Hour of the Ox・Slowness]. 

Not a threat. 

I prepared [Gladius Tonitrui] for repelling. 

At that moment, a tingly sense of alarm arose. [Instinct Detection] was reacting. I looked at the enemy’s face. While most of the faces showed desperation, one wolf face alone was grinning as if it cracked open.

A bluff. 

—The enemy accelerated.

I understood instantly. 

My high-level monster information processing gave me the answer at once. 

That guy used [Super Acceleration]… no, probably a skill one step beyond that. 

On top of that, it “somehow canceled the slow debuff.”

The sudden acceleration I felt physically—it’s probably more than ten times.

I’m going to get hit. 

—Or not.

Calmly, I used [Wonder Time]. 

The charging Absorption Demon passed through my body. And with that momentum, it crashed into the giant boulder behind me. 

I felt like a matador.

The large rock shattered. 

Fragments and dust danced up, hiding the surroundings. Doesn’t matter to me. 

Without pause, I deployed ten [Burning Chains] to bind the enemy.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!” 

The enemy screams. 

Its body rapidly changes. Scales grow all over its body. Dragon scales, lizard scales, turtle shells, shells of crustaceans… those are then covered by ore. 

The transformation hasn’t stopped yet. 

In no time, the body of the Absorption Demon turns into a Dragon. It looks like a giant snake, but it is certainly a Dragon type. 

From its back, wings formed by overlapping many arms are born. 

It tears apart the flaming chains with its body, and the massive figure towers over the forest. 

Second Form. 

The enemy probably has some sort of disadvantage too. But its overwhelming appearance is so intense, it’s understandable for the heart to waver. 

Still, well… I guess I just have to do it. 

▽ 

Our battle tears the forest apart. 

Every time the Absorption Demon twists its Dragon body, the giant sacred trees snap like twigs. The earth is gouged, and even animals are turned into minced meat. 

Large creatures have too much area of effect with a single movement. 

I dodge the enemy’s attacks at full speed. A wide variety of magic is being fired. 

They are all around intermediate level, but the power is plenty. 

Dodging forest debris, I tear off the tentacles stretching from the Absorption Demon’s side with [Gladius Tonitrui]. 

Since it’s enhanced with [Generator], the firepower is more than enough. 

I run freely through the crumbling forest, jump around, and fly using [Spatial Magic]. 

A tentacle swings up from below to scoop me up. 

As I jump to avoid it, I see a mouth growing on the tentacle. It fires a breath attack. But I instantly deploy [Dimension Wall] and use it as a platform to move midair. 

A breath that pierces the sky. 

It doesn’t hit me. I think about sending it back with [Counter Gate], but decide against it. It’s not yet time to go on the offensive. 

The number of tentacles is abnormal. 

Tentacles approach from both sides. I slice the ones from the right front leg. And for the ones coming from the left— 

I swap positions with a nearby Rank VI monster trying to escape using [Enforce Change]. 

The unknown Rank VI is pierced in my place. 

I’ll avenge you. 

(Note: Really? ( `−ㅿ−´) I feel bad for that random monster. Poor thingy.)

I slash the stopped tentacle from the root.

“Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Forgive meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!” 

“Nyaau” 

“Dieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!” 

The screaming Absorption Demon does not let up in its assault. 

So I fire ten [Thunder Cannons] into the Dragon’s belly. The Dragon’s massive body is blown away by the force. 

It retreats, gouging the ground as it goes. 

Several sacred trees are caught up and snap. 

I move to follow up the attack. At that moment, my [Instinct Detection] activates again. When I use [Search] more thoroughly, I see something almost invisible floating around the area. 

Something like mist. 

Out of curiosity, I jump into the mist. 

Then, my body is parasitized in an instant. 

This seems to be the enemy’s trump card. It grinds a small amount of its body into mist and gradually has the opponent inhale it. 

Once a certain amount is taken in, parasitism of the hostile creature is complete. 

It’s quite a vicious ability. It looks like the enemy had been hiding this trump card with its huge body and wild attacks. 

The Absorption Demon laughs loudly. It’s confident of its victory. 

I use [Hour of the Rabbit・Rewind] to return to my physical state and position three seconds before the parasitism. 

No way I’m taking that kind of attack without a countermeasure. 

The trick’s exposed. 

The aim is clear. It won’t work on me anymore. 

I have many techniques that are invincible-type, nullification-type, and absolute-evade-type. In the wild, this means a lot. Most people would understand. 

Observation. 

It allows me to choose the strongest option at low risk. 

I reveal the enemy’s attacks and cards one by one. 

In the end, what’s scary is only the “unexpected”. 

So if I eliminate those unexpected elements one by one, the path to my victory becomes clearer. 

The Absorption Demon no longer has the luxury to bluff. 

No—more accurately, it no longer has any trump card worth bluffing for. 

Meanwhile, I still have more cards to play. 

On top of that, I’m always prepared with [Endure][Wonder Time][Counter Gate][Enforce Change][Rewind]… and even the yet-to-be-seen [Warp] as evasive options. 

I manage my resources so that I can always activate at least one of them. 

Thanks to my [Space-Time Talent・Extreme], the cooldown for [Spatial Magic] and [Time Magic] is always reduced by 60%. So it’s easier to use than you’d think. 

Try whatever you want. 

I’ll nullify it all and close in on that hand you’re hiding. 

“I know! I know!”

Screaming like struggling, the Absorption Demon undergoes a third transformation. It suddenly splits its body into twenty, and physically surrounds me. 

So what? 

Before I could even question it, the enemy makes a clever move. 

The surroundings go pitch black. 

Apparently, all twenty bodies stretched out their tentacles at the same time. Like a dome, it’s trying to physically seal me in. 

To avoid getting blasted away by [Thunder Cannon], it is also using magical means to defend. 

I see. 

Clever. My [Wonder Time] is on cooldown. 

The activation condition for the evasion-type [Enforce Change] is “being visually recognized through physical eyesight.” 

If it’s pitch black and I can’t see, I don’t know what to switch with. 

The enemy has also analyzed my hand, and is making strategies to crush it. 

Parasitic spores fall from the tentacles. 

To be honest, I could easily avoid it by using [Warp] (Teleport within reachable distance in five seconds). 

Unfortunately, 

Now is not the time. My [Instinct Detection] is screaming at me. 

“Nyaaah” 

The enemy split its body. 

That is not a no-risk move. If there were no risks, there would be no reason to use it only after being cornered this much. From what I’ve observed, it distributes its stats evenly across each body. Physical strength, defense, MP, HP—all of it. 

It must’ve been scared. 

That’s why it got impatient and wanted to end this quickly. Before I could do “something” again, it wanted me gone.And it played its hand to settle the fight. 

That’s its “end of the road.” 

What I cast is one of the upper-tier [Spatial Magic] spells. 

Its name is [Wonder Strike]. And to put it simply, it’s a higher-level version of [Dimension Strike]. 

Its effect is the worst for the enemy: 

‘Duplicate melee attacks. Deploy within user’s perception range.’ 

Maybe that’s hard to picture. 

Then I’ll just tell you the result. 

—Behind each of the twenty split bodies of the Absorption Demon… five jaws appeared. In total, a hundred suddenly materialized. 

The demon doesn’t notice. 

Too focused on killing, it doesn’t realize the worst is closing in on it. 

You are not the one attacking now. 

It’s me. 

So, 

I decide to activate “that”. 

A newly acquired species skill—[Causality Eater]. I have a vague idea of the origin of this skill too. 

The legend of King Arthur……… 

In it, there is a creature called “Cath Palug”, a monster cat. That Cath Palug is said to have inflicted a mortal wound on King Arthur—who was supposed to have had Excalibur. 

A supernatural ability that denies invincibility. 

That is what Cath Palug— 

—The Cat of Calamity………possesses. 

I’m not afraid anymore. 

This [Causality Eater] lets me, during melee attacks, “ignore the enemy’s skills and stats.” Even if they have [Poison Resistance], or countermeasures against parasitic biting—everything becomes worthless. 

A catastrophic skill that breaks the rules and order of this world. 

A hundred jaws open all at once. 

Of course, I’ll use [Venom Bite]. 

“Ah, aaaaah!?” 

The Absorption Demon notices too late. Most likely, it was saving a [Roar]-type skill to stop my movements at a time like this. 

But I won’t even allow that moment anymore. 

A massive array of magical circles formed by [Spatial Magic], and the cat jaws spread behind the enemy. 

A despair-filled roar strikes my ears. 

My [Instinct Detection] tells me— 

This bite is no longer just an ordinary bite……… 

It needs a name. 

And my [Instinct Detection] answers with what that name is. 

Then all I need to do is call it.

To devour and kill—

――――[Savage, Merciless Banquet: Brutal Dinner]

The sensation of crunching comes all at once, from a hundred places. 

The satisfying texture, like biting into hard candy. The exhilaration. 

Ignoring the enemy’s [Poison Resistance], ignoring defenses like scales, ruthlessly—death fills the enemy. That’s what victory feels like. 

From the sky, spores fall softly. That scene was incredibly beautiful. Like snow falling at Christmas… it made me feel blessed.